Finding out
by scullcandy
Summary: How exactly did Osiris/Julius find out about Sadie and Anubis? This probably isn't it, but read it anyway!


**This is a story from deep within 'the archive' *confused followers mumbled 'what's the archive?' While Devilparrot smiles knowingly***

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 _Julius, wake up,_ Osiris rumbled, jolting me from my daze.

I jerked my head off my palm and realized in embarrassment that I'd fallen asleep on my throne. For a moment I had hope that one of the children had sneaked down here again.

 _Well, it's a child, but not one of yours,_ Osiris said.

 _What-oh!_

I realized Anubis had been waiting patiently for me to fully wake up from the side of my throne.

As teenagers went, I'd found Anubis very good company. He was silent and respectful, but not in a way that seemed withdrawn, just in a shy way.

 _Of course,_ Osiris said, his voice full of regret. _He's been alone for so long that he's shy of people._

A stab of guilt went through my mind as I pictured my youngest, Sadie, how she was rude and outspoken, going out of her way to push people away from her. Always doing everything to keep herself from becoming vulnerable.

"Uncle?"

I shook my head, bringing myself back to the present. I almost asked the boy who he was talking to, before remembering that I was now his uncle. A small wave of relief went through me. When I'd first arrived Anubis had been very set in calling me 'master'. I had a hall full of servants to call me that, I didn't need a teenage boy doing the same, especially since I would be working aside him for the next millennium.

"Uncle?" he prompted again.

"Oh, yes, sorry my boy," I apologized. "I'm not entirely awake yet."

Anubis shrugged, "I will leave you to sleep in a moment. But first I have a favor to ask."

 _Oh dear gods, a teenager starting off any conversation with those words never ends well,_ I thought uneasily.

"What is it?" I asked cautiously. Anubis must've read the unease in my eyes as aggravation, because he started fidgeting with the ceremonial knife at his side.

"Can you take me collar off?" Anubis said meekly.

"What?"

He shifted his feet. "When I turn into a jackal I have a collar on, but it's getting too tight and I can't figure out how to undo the latch myself…"

 _I haven't seen his jackal form since he was a pup,_ Osiris murmured. _He was given that collar at birth, and it should have magically adjusted until he was full grown._

 _Maybe the magic has worn off over the centuries,_ I guessed.

Anubis looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"Of course," I said. "When exactly did it start getting too tight?"

Anubis cringed slightly. "A while back."

 _Don't press him,_ Osiris warned before I could ask how long 'a while back' was.

I held out my hand, gesturing for him to turn. Anubis breathed deeply and jumped forward lightly.

I was not prepared.

I knew from Osiris's memories that when he'd left, Anubis had been a fluffy puppy, stumbling over his too-big paws and ears. Now, that was most definantly not the case. In front of me was a jackal as big as a small horse, and seemed to be made completely out of inky black shadows. Huge canines and claws gleamed pearly white against his jet black fur. When he stepped forward, the hall seemed to tremble slightly.

 _Oh my gods_ , Osiris said hoarsely, looking at his beloved nephew, full grown and proudly gliding towards his throne.

Anubis lay his head in my lap, taking up the entire space. He whimpered softly when I raised my hand.

 _Oh gods,_ I said in horror. _When he said a 'while ago' he meant it._

The thick golden links of his collar had cut so deeply into his neck that all around the gold was fur matted with blood. In some places, his skin had grown over the links. I swallowed my revolution and brushed my finger across his neck, electing a whimper.

 _Please, just take it off,_ Anubis said weakly, shoving his thoughts into my head.

"Anubis, this is going to hurt, a lot-"

 _I know, but it hurts more not being able to breathe in deeply,_ Anubis said insistently.

 _Julius, just take it off of him_ , Osiris ordered.

 _Okay, I will try, but I really think this is a job for a healer-_

 _He didn't ask for a healer, he asked for your help-so help!_

I nodded and pulled a pocketknife out of my suit pocket. Anubis squirmed uneasily, but didn't move away when I started the delicate task of removing the links from his neck.

 _Unhook the latch first,_ Osiris instructed.

I unhooked the latch with my fingers, hoping the entire collar would peel off. No such luck. This had been growing into his skin for at least a century; it wasn't going to just fall off.

I started with the links at the back of his neck. Anubis had obviously tried removing it himself, creating a large amount of damage to the diamonds and gold around his shoulders. I cringed in sympathy as I dug out a chunk of sapphire out of his spine.

By the time I was halfway through, my hands and knees were covered in Anubis's golden blood. He was absolutely miserable, whimpering when I got to the bottom of his neck. I hand to cut his skin off the chain in some points and dig it out with my fingers.

Finally, nearly two hours later, I had it mostly removed. Only a few inches left…

"There," I said, pulling it off. It slid off his neck in with a sickening sound.

 _He's bleeding heavily,_ Osiris said, his voice thick with concern.

 _I know._

 _Thank you,_ Anubis said, stretching his neck with a whimper.

"Anubis, you need a healer-"

 _I am fine, thank you for your assistance,_ Anubis said, dissolving into the shadows before I could catch him and drag him to a healer.

 **Half an hour later**

"Where could he have gone?!" I said, pacing anxiously.

"Honey-"Ruby tried.

"He'll bleed out-"

"Then scry him!" she finally said, wringing her hands. "Gods, you've been fretting about him for an hour! Go look for him if it's upsetting you so much!"

I opened my mouth to object, but decided against it.

"Fine," I said irritably. "What was he thinking, running off like that?"

I muttered to myself like an old hen as I gathered ingredients to scry Anubis. Once I had them all in front of me, Ruby murmured the spell over the water, making it ripple with an image.

The scene cleared and I bit back a gasp of shock.

Anubis was still in the form of a monstrous jackal, but now he had company. My youngest, Sadie, was holding Anubis's head in her lap, wrapping his bleeding neck in clean, white linen. Anubis seemed to be summoning them from the Duat. Beside her lay a pile of bloody diamonds and precious jewels that she'd pulled from Anubis's torn neck.

"Alright Deathboy," Sadie said irritably, pulling the tie on ribbon of linen. "Next time you call me, you'd better not be bleeding! And really, invest in a cell phone, or-"

Anubis turned human and studied Sadie, completely perplexed. "What is a 'cell phone'? And _what_ did you call me?"

She crossed her arms. She looked the same as she had when I'd last seen her. Long, caramel hair dyed with purple, rumpled clothing, and fierce blue eyes. For a second, I thought they were about to go at each other's throats, but instead, Sadie smiled and poked him in the shoulder.

"Deathboy."

He glared, not remotely amused.

"And besides, you're supposed to bring gifts for a girl," Sadie said primly, looking at Anubis expectantly.

He rolled his eyes and plucked a bloody diamond from the ground and offered it to her, smiling sweetly.

"Typically, a gift should not be covered in blood."

"Picky, picky," Anubis tittered.

Sadie rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder.

"I will remember next time," Anubis promised. Sadie pouted and crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry," Anubis said sincerely. "I will remember to bring you a gift next time."

Sadie ignored him and reached to touch his neck. He stiffened, but didn't smack her hand away.

"Does that hurt?"

He shook his head, "not in my human form, no. I'm just not used to being touched. I know someone else like that too though." He reached forward and brushed a piece of hair behind Sadie's ear. Her whole body seized up as if she'd been shot and Anubis pulled away, smiling gently.

 _It's been so long since I've seen him smile,_ Osiris said, watching Anubis interact with my little girl. Sadie seemed happy too, even if she was glaring at him.

 _I'm glad they're happy, but now not only do I have to worry about Sadie's love life, now I have Anubis's to worry about to,_ I said crossly. _What do I do? Should I break this up now-?_

 _Let them be,_ Osiris said sympathetically. _We were both in love once too._

 _This won't end well._

 _I know, and I think he knows that too. Let them be happy…at least for now._


End file.
